Training to accelerate Tonga’s Progress on its Energy and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Targets

Nuku'alofa, Tonga 26th June, 2018 - A three-day training workshop on Tonga’s Energy Efficiency Master Plan (TEEMP) began at Nuku’alofa yesterday.  In opening the workshop, Solomone Fifita, Manager of the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) stated that “The  Master Plan must be realistic, practical and affordable. It must make a difference and its impacts should be measurable otherwise it will become just another document and plan. The recent UN review meeting on the SAMOA Pathway noted the slow progress on sustainable energy in the region. I have no doubt that this TEEMP will assist to accelerate Tonga’s energy efficiency effort,” said Fifita.       

In 2009, Tonga launched its Tonga Energy Road Map or TERM with a target to generate 50% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2020. The TERM became a regional model and the approach was replicated in other Pacific Island Countries.  The Tonga Energy Efficiency Master Plan or TEEMP will spell out Tonga’s energy efficiency targets and the means and costs of achieving these targets.

The training is a collaboration between the Energy Division of MEIDECCC, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the USA as well as the PCREEE. The training is funded with resources from the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) and the Clean Energy Solutions Centre.

Participants at the workshop are from the Energy Division, PCREEE, Tonga Power Ltd and the Marine, Land Transport and Building Divisions of the Ministry of Infrastructure. 

Contacts:

Dr Tevita Tukunga, Director, Energy Division, MEIDECCC

PCREEE – http://www.pcreee.org

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